Process of producing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l P. BREYER.

PRGESS OP PRODUCING FILTERING MEDIA. No. 321,947. Patented July 14, 1885.

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t UNITED STATES PMEN-*1P OFFICE- "FRIEDRICH BEEYEE, or VIENNA, AUs'rmAnUNcAnY- PROCESS oF PRooUcl'Nc. FILTERING MEDiA.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.321,'947, dated July 14, 1885.

Application led May 23, 1883. (No model.) Patented in Belgium April 19, 1883, No. 61.164; in France April 20, 1883, No. 154,994, `and May 26, 1884, No.'162.364; in-Germany April 2l. 1883, No. 25,709; in England April 24, 1883, No. 2,0527; in Italy April 30,

1883,XVU, 15,373, XXX, 379, and in Austria-Hungary August 29, 1884, No. 14,129 and No. 39,090.

Be 1t known that I, FRTEDRICH BREYER,

civil engineer, subject of Austria-Hungary, residing at the city of Vienna, inthe Province of N ether-Austria, in the Empire of Austria- Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Producing Porous Membranes or Media for Eliminating Micro-Organisms from Fluids, (for which Letters Patent have been obtained in Austria- Hungary, Nos. 14,122 and 39,090, dated August 29, 1884; in Germany, No. 25,709, dated -will'enable others skilled in the artto which April 2l, 1883; in France, N o. 154,994, dated April 20, 1883, and No. 162,361, dated May 26, 1884; in Belgium, No. 61,164, dated April 19, 1883; in Italy, Nos. 15,373 and 379, dated June 30, 1883, and in England, No. 2,087, dated April 24, 1883;) and I do hereby declare the follow'ing to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, such as magnesiunn (asbestus, amianthus, bostonite,

or other analogous mineral Iibroussubstance.)

It further consists in the process of preparing the backing or support and the deposit-ing of the microliths by subjecting wire-gauze to the action of an clectrolythic bath and depositing on the wires thereof a coating of metal, and then depositing on the so prepared-backing one or more layers of microliths.

., It further consists in the process of connecting the deposited microliths to the backing by means of an insoluble inorganic adhesive agent; and, lastly, the invention consists in a porous media for filtering purposes, composed of a porous backing or support and one or more strata of microlithsconnected therewith, substantially as hereinafter more fully described. v

I have hereinabove employed and shall hereinafter employ the word microlith, derived from two Greek words, micros, small, and lithos,. a stone, in order to convey a more correct idea of the substance that actually forms the liltering strata, which, in fact, is a practically insoluble fibrous mineral or stony substance-namely, calcium magnesium, better known as asbestus, bostonte/7 amianthus,77 talc &c.

I have shown in the accompanying drawings not onlyt-hc necessary means for producing the filtering media, but also a mode of arranging thc same forpractical use. I wish it, hou-'ever,u1ulerstood that although I do not in this application lay claim to either the apparatus for effecting the deposit of the microlithz-l upon the backing or support therefor, and for connecting the microliths to said backing or support, or to the process of effecting the reduction and division ol' the calcium magnesium,or to any special construction of filter i n which said media are employed, yet I reserve myself the right tomake separate applications for patents for said matters of invention, and have given illustrations thereof inl order to enable others to fully comprehend the scope of my invention and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect.

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the apparatus as constructed in a compend'ions and convenient form for eliminating micro-bodies and microorganisms from impure water, so as to render the same potable. Figs. 2, 3, andi. show the details thereof. Fig. 5 shows a horizontal section, and Fig. 6 Aa vertical section, ofv a modified construction of the separator of inmedia. Fiff. 10 shows b a likcview an a e Y P paratus for producing the filtering media.Y Fig. 1l showsa small part of a ltering medium on a greatly magnified scale. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are various micro-bodies, enlarged to the same scale.

In carrying out my invention I rst reduce the inorganic material, talc, asbestus, or bostonite into microliths or microlithic bers. I have found that this may be readily effected by reduction between rollers or in any ordinary rag-engine in conjunction with suticient water to keep the material and operating or reducingmechanismimmersed. By this means I am enabled to obtain fibers of greater fineness than cocoon-silk or spider-threads, in fact, bers from 0.000012 to 0.000015 inch in diameter, and of a length from 10,000 to 100,000 times their diameter. The microlithic bers so obtained are then graded according to their neness, and this I effect in any suitable apparatus by availing myself of the specic gravity of the bers.

In Fig. 0 I have shown a form of apparatus for grading or assort-ing the bers which has given excellent results. It is composed of a cylindrical vessel, B', in which is arranged a shaft, S, carrying stirring-blades S. One-half (more or less) of this shaft is hollow and conrains a pipe, b, provided with a stop-cock, c. The pipe, as shown, extends nearly the entire length of the hollow portion of the shaft S, which has outlet-ports a a a"z at different elevations, and is rotated through a belt-pulley,e, from any suitable prime motor. The microliths as they come from the reducing-engine are charged into the cylinder B mixed wit-h a volume of water from onethousand totwothousand times greater, by weight than the weight ofthe dry microliths,and then thoroughly stirred, so that the bers will be held in suspension at different elevations according to their specific gravity, the ner bers passing from the cylinder through ports a and the dischargepipe b into a suitable receiver, the next grade through ports a into a separate receiver, and the coarser bers through ports a? into a third receiver, the pipe b being adjusted within the shaft S as the various strata are drawn o. According to the use made of the filtering media, er or coarser microliths are or may be deposi ed thereon,the coarsest being usually returned to thereducing-engine and further reduced. In this preparation of these filtering media the fibers are deposited upon a suitable porous or permeable backing or support, for which purpose various materials may be employed, such as perforated metallic plates, wire-woven fabrics, and other suitable perforated or highly porous or permeable materials, the nature of which will also depend upon the uses made of the media, and should be of such a character as not to be affected by the liquid or gas to be filtered.

For general uses, for filtering liquids and gases, I employ wire-gauze as a support or backing, which is first stretched smoothly and rmly upon a suitable frame or grating, Figs.

lfrom a belt-pulley on its shaft.

2, 3, 4, and 7, of any suitable form, according to the uses made of the media. Wire-ganze having a mesh of 0. 0078 inch made of wire of a 7o surfaces facing each other, with an interven- 75 ing sheet of vulcauite or rubber, as shown in Fig. 8. These couples are then introduced into an clectrolithic bath, and the wire-gauze eleetroplated, to stifien the wire, and connect them at their intersections by a metallic connection. When so treated, the backing or support is ready to receive the coating or deposit of microliths which may be effected in any suitable manner and by any suitable means, care being taken that the layer or layers of microliths deposited on the gauze be as uniform as possible.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a form of apparatus by means of which this uniform depositing and cementing of the microliths may be effected with facility by subsidence or precipitation. The apparat-us is composed of a cylindrical vessel, A, having discharge-pi pes p p. Above the vessel is arranged a charginghopper provided with an agitator, q, operated The hopper has a disehargepipe provided with a stopcock, q', that projects some distance into the vessel A, where it terminates in one or more perforated branches, Ir, radiating therefrom. One of the electroplated gauze supports, with its frame or grating f', and with the wiregauze uppermost, is placed in a receiver, Z, open at top and bottom, and supported above the bottom of vessell on feet n. Between the receiver and the bottom of the vessel is arranged a false bottom, m,which serves to prevent eddies when the charge is drawn off. A hotor boiling solution of a soluble silicate of soda or potassa, (water-glass) in the proportion of about one part, by weight, of the silicate to about one hundred parts, by weight, of water, is then introduced into the vessel A, until the gauzein receiver l is completelyimmersed, to drive outof its meshes all the air. The vessel A is then nearly lled with a cold solution of the silicate, and the charging-hopper lowered into it. introduced into the hopper, the stop-cock q being closed, and the stirrers set in motion to thoroughly suspend the fibers in the liquid, when the stop-cock is opened and the charged solution allowed to ow through the perforated branch or branches r into the silicated bath.

The proportion of water introduced into the. silicated bath with the microliths should be such that the entire volume of liquid in A will be from three thousand to four thousand times greater than the volume of microliths, and contain aboutve per cent. of silicate of a specific gravity of from 1.25 to 1.30.

When the microlithic bers are of a coarser grade, the subsidence or precipitation takes A charge of microlith and water is thenplace in from one to oneandy one-half hours,

l snowy-white surface, clearly seen through the or jarring of its supports.

liquid, which is then drawn o through pipe p, the contractedgopening'of which projects nearly to the under side of the false-bottom m.-y

The dischargepf'the solution should -be ef- -fected slowly, so as Anotfto cause-any.disturbance in the 'liquid'within Vthelvessel A, and a consequent/ ldisplacement of `the microlithic` -depositthereonf Infact, I4 have found itljadvantageous to draw the liquid bil' at such 'a slow rate, as if the whole of 'the solution had to pass through the deposited microliths. Of course the apparatus should be so arranged as to be unaiected by any vibrator'y movements 'Afterthe solution hasA been drawn" oii', the frames f c are removed, and' are then ready for the cementing process,"which consists of two 'distinct steps-namely:

First. The process of crystallization,v which` is eil'ected by subjecting the filtering' medium to atemperature of from 212 to 248 Fahren heit, the completion of which is ascertained by the uniform white and shining appearance othe deposit. A notable change occurs during the crystallization of thesilicate. The microliths will be found to lie closer and adhere to the gauze backing, whilethe film of silicate that cements the bers to one another and to the backing is cracked or ruptured, forming innumerable inorganic connections between said fibers and their backing.

The lilteri ng media ,so prepared, may be used for certain purposes-as for-,the filtration of dry gasesor air-but as the silicateis soluble any moisture coming in contact, therewith will tend to dissolve the same and render the medium useless. It is therefore necessary for general purposes of filtration to convert the soluble silicate into an insoluble inorganic body, and this constitutes the second step in the process of cementation, which is effected as follows:l

The'nltering media, after crystallization of Y the silicate, are placed in asolution of about three parts of chloride of calcium or chloride of magnesium in about one hundred parts of water, until the reaction of the solution on the silicate and its conversion into an insoluble'salt has taken place, which will be in from four to six'hours. In this reactionI a change takes place in the silicate which is of the greatest importance. The silicate is to some extent dissolved and rolls up into minute globules that attach themselves under occlusion of common salt in the form of micro-crys tais of insoluble silicate of lime, magnesia, or barium, according to the salt employed, to the microliths and their backing, thus forming an inorganic and insoluble cement or connection between them and their support.

In Fig-111 have shown a ,aesinet wire-A soluble silicate forms itself into globules or warts.y By optical measurement and calculation the layer ofmicroliths is about 0.00127 inch thickat its greatest thicknessand from eight to teu such layers form a diuse mass impenetrable to the rays of light under the microscope. f l

In order to convey a more correct idea of the-dimensions of these microliths, I have shown-in Figs. 12 to 17 a globule oflhu'man blood, a` cell of beer ferment, a mildew-spore,

a thread of cocoon-silk, a thread of .-splderweb, and amicrolith, respectively enlarged i nI the same proportion as the 'mesh of -iiltermg medium, Fig. 11. l, i

- According to the density j of. the layer of microliths on its-backing,the above-described steps of depositing,cementing,and convertlng may be'repe'ated any numberof times.

By the described means I am enabled to obtainlilte'ring media; from about 0.01 to 0.012 inch thick to' every 0;015 square inch,- having from threehundred thousand to fourhundred thousand apertures, from whichit will be seen that about one-third of the filteringsurface may be considered as open space, thus offering to the passage of a liquid or gas no other resist.- ance than that of friction. In general, I may state that for every 0.0015 square inch of surface from 0.11 to 0.15 grain of microliths are re- IOO quired to form a medium 0.001 inch in-thickf ness.

To increase the durability of the filtering media, two of them may be secured together, with their microlithic surfaces facing each other, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the former showing two framed media and the latter two media supported from gratings, and these couples I have termed filtering elements. They may be arranged in any convenient manner for filtering purposes, or in windows or other openings for purifying atmosphericl IIO I have hereinabove described a process of v connecting or attaching the microliths with or to their support or backing by meansfof an inorganic soluble or insoluble silicate. Other chemicals or salts, whereby like results may be obtained, can, however, be employed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The herein-described processjof producing filtering media, which consists in cementing One or more layers of a nelydivided inorganic or mineral fibrous substance uponaporouspr permeable support by means of a soluble sltnnd converting saidsalt into an insoluble salt, for the purposes speci lied.

I2. The benin-described processof proilnc ing;r filtering mediar., which consists` vin deposit ing upon al permeable or porous backing or support. an inorginic or mineral fibrous sub stance, eementing or attaching the sa me there to hy means of a soluble silicate, :nul eonverting the soluble silica-te int-o an insoluble silicate by the reaction of nchloride, for the pur-A pose specified. v

3. The hereinfdescribed process of produc-- ing ilteriug media, which consists in forming u. layeror layers of finely-divided ycalcium magnesium-such as asbestus, amianthns,bos tonite-upon a porous bucking or support, and cementing the calcium magnesium thereto by treatment, first, in a. solution of a 'soluble silicate of soda or potash, and then converting the soluble silicate into an insoluble silicate by means of a chloride-such as chloride of calcium-magnesium or barium-for the purpose specified.

4. The herein-described process of producing iltering media.; which consists in electroplating a woven metallic fabric, and cementing thereto one or more layers of fibers of an inorganic or mineral fibrous substance, for.

the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described filtering medium,

composed of n porous hacking ando layer or layers of n finely-divided inorganic or mineral fibrous substance cemented thereto.

6. The herein-described filtering medium composed of a-,porous backing and a loyer or layers of finely-divided calcium 'magnesiumsuch'as'aslwstus or amanthus or .bostonitccemented or attached thereto by an inorganic l cement.

7. The hereimdescribed filtering medium, composed of a metallic gauze backing and a layer or layers of an inorganic or mineral substance cemented theretmby an inorganic eem,- ent.

8.'. The herein-described filtering medium, composed o f an electroplated metallic gauze backing and a layer or layers of an inorganic or mneml fibrous substance.eemented thereto by means of :m inorganicl cement.

'In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH BREYER.

Witnesses: 'JAMrs RILEY Wi-:Avi-nz,

WILLIAM HNING. 

